Before Yamino's mind slipped fully into unconsciousness, he saw the final message burn across his vision:
[SOLO KING requests the soul of the dead. Do you agree?]
Somehow, his lips moved. His will, fractured and fading, answered.
"…Yes."
The world went black.
His body collapsed—still, unmoving.
Then…
Something stirred.
A faint pulse of violet light rippled from his chest.
The sniper rifle dissolved into shimmering particles and returned to the box as if obeying ancient law.
Yamino's body, though limp, rose.
Slowly. As if pulled by unseen strings.
His spine straightened. His head tilted upward. And then—his eyes snapped open.
No longer the eyes of Yamino.
They were hollow and glowing deep purple, like void-colored flames.
His once-black hair shifted color—green, flowing like dyed silk in an unseen wind.
Across his arms, glowing blue tattoos manifested, etched in divine script—symbols of kingship, fate, and command. They pulsed with a rhythm that resonated with the very earth.
The air around him shook.
[Devouring Complete]
[Congratulations! Solo King: Reawakening has begun.]
[New Class Acquired.]
[Grim Energy Absorbed.]
[Evolution Starting...]
Time warped around him. Light bent inward.
His flesh burned away in flashes of silver light, revealing something deeper. Truer.
Bones shimmered with spectral radiance. A second body formed—one made not of flesh, but of soul and will.
[Evolution Complete.]
[Class: Shinogami]
[Race: Shinigami]
In that instant, Yamino no longer stood as a mere human reborn in a cursed world.
He had become something else. Something between.
[New Human–Soul Body Constructed]
[New Master–Soul Law Established]
His body fused with his soul seamlessly. Two separate systems, two cosmic forces, bound together in one vessel.
[Creation Complete]
[Congratulations. You are the first to merge two systems in perfect harmony.]
Then the final message came:
[Congratulations! You are contracted with… yourself.]
[Your growth rate has become 2x.]
Suddenly, a throne of obsidian formed behind him in the void of his mind. From it, a crown of pure light descended—hovering just above his head, never touching, always watching.
[SOLO KING – Updated.]
---
Skill Name: Solo King
Rank: SSS
Type: King-Level (Sentient)
Nature: Unique – One-of-a-kind across all known dimensions
Origin: Born from Yamino's soul, forged by his will, ambition, and sovereignty
Core Trait: The Solo King is not merely a skill—it is a crowned entity, sentient and divine, born of Yamino's defiance. It sleeps in peace but awakens in moments of crisis. It serves him, but tests him always. It evolves as he does. The more he commands, the more the world bends.
---
1. King of Nothing
> "Those who fall before the king… rise only in his name."
All defeated beings become vassals, bound eternally. Their memories, names, and wills are erased. They are reborn in service to the king and can be summoned at will.
---
2. King's Tax
> "The king does not borrow—he collects."
Absorbs 100,000x power from followers and 1,000,000x from defeated enemies. All collected energy is stored in the Royal Vault, usable for forging weapons, healing, skill creation, or temporary invincibility.
---
3. King's Aura
> "His presence alone bends the knee."
A domainless aura of oppression. Weaker beings experience dread, hesitation, or forced submission. Stronger beings are slowed, their thoughts clouded by fear and doubt.
---
4. Domain of a Sovereign
> "Within these walls, only the king writes law."
Creates a soul-bound dimension where Yamino is omnipotent. Time, space, law, and logic bend to his will. No invader may dictate the rules within.
---
5. Authority
> "The king's word is the law of his flesh."
Complete self-command. Can write laws like "I shall not bleed" or "My bones cannot break." These override all other physical or magical limitations.
---
6. Wisdom of a King
> "Knowledge kneels before wisdom. And wisdom bows to the king."
Grants divine intellect, flawless memory, and the power to analyze and dismantle any ability, curse, or rule. Allows the king to understand anything instantly, even unknown languages or time-based magic.
---
7. Death Sentence (Execution)
> "In the king's court, mercy is not promised."
Can declare a target inside his domain for absolute execution. Once declared, that being is erased from existence. This ignores resistances, immortality, regeneration, or divinity.
Usage: Once per day. Only inside domain.
---
The messages faded, but the throne remained.
And the newly reborn Yamino—Shinogami and King—took his first breath in this new form.
The girl he had slain lay nearby, her body dissolving into mist.
Her soul was already his.
But others would come.
And now—he was ready.
For he was not merely in the Game.
He was becoming the endgame.
.
.
.
.
Yamino's eyes—those hollow purple voids—tilted toward the sky, as if gazing into realms beyond mortal sight. A low breath escaped his lips, and then he spoke—not with Yamino's usual voice, but something ancient layered beneath it, like echoes through stone.
"Sorry, my king…" he whispered to the heavens, or perhaps to the soul slumbering within. "I know if you use me fully… you could become strong—right now. Right here. You could crush them all. But this... this is for your growth."
His lips trembled slightly, but the words carried unshakable resolve.
"You need to get super strong," he continued. "Not just power. I mean unshakable strength. The kind that bends destiny and rips apart fate. I can't be a burden in your trials. I won't be your shortcut."
His hand curled into a fist, glowing tattoos dimming as energy receded back into the void from where it came.
"I'll follow the rules… this time," he said, eyes losing their glow. "I'll seal myself again. But when you call… I'll answer. Now—wake up. It's time to hunt."
A grin tugged at his lips.
"Hunt those angel bastards. Their souls… their divine souls… are the biggest nutrition for you right now."
And just like that, Yamino's transformed body crumpled. It fell to the ground with a soft thud, all the ethereal light around it vanishing like morning mist.
For a moment, there was silence.
Then—his fingers twitched.
Yamino's eyes opened.
This time, they were his again—human, confused, and blinking beneath a sudden beam of sunlight.
The first sensation that hit him wasn't pain.
It was hunger.
His stomach growled—loud, primal, demanding.
He sat up fast, his head spinning. "What the… am I… hungry? Since when do I feel hunger again?"
He looked at his hands. Normal. Human. No glowing tattoos. No divine script. His reflection on the surface of a shattered glass shard nearby confirmed it—his black hair had returned. His skin no longer shimmered with energy. But inside… he could feel it. Something deep had changed.
"Is… is my human body back?" he muttered, still holding his stomach. "Did I revert?"
Before he could fully gather his thoughts, a stream of glowing golden notifications scrolled across his vision. They weren't the full Solo King system ones, but stripped-down status updates—quick flashes of system acknowledgment.
He scanned them fast, eyes narrowing.
> [Body Evolution: Complete]
[Shinogami Class – Dormant]
[Soul Body Constructed – Stable]
[Energy Mode: Passive Absorption Enabled]
[New Nutrition Target Identified: Angel-Class Souls]
Yamino's head jerked up. A voice—not quite his own, yet intimately familiar—rattled in the back of his mind.
"Angel souls are the best nutrition for your body right now."
His lips moved on instinct. "So that wasn't a dream…"
He exhaled, heart pounding. Something had changed. Something fundamental. But he didn't have time to panic.
He clenched his jaw and straightened his spine, brushing dust from his coat. His fingers tingled, not with pain or chill—but with hunger.
"Map," he commanded aloud.
A flat, digital interface blinked into existence in front of his face. His eyes darted to the glowing number at the top:
[Player Count: 99,990]
"Whoa…" he whispered, brows arching. "Ten people dead already?"
He swiped across the translucent panel, looking for any new red dots—any sign of conflict nearby. His stomach growled again, but this time it wasn't just food he craved.
He could feel it.
Souls.
Light-laced souls walking nearby, unaware that their essence now called to him like freshly baked bread.
His mind snapped back to something important.
"…The boxes," Yamino said aloud, eyes widening. "Let's see what happened to those damn boxes."
He turned toward where the sniper rifle and the hidden loot crates had been stored, his footsteps light, swift—yet the ground beneath him cracked faintly with each step.
Something inside him had changed.
And every angel in this realm was about to find out what.